Crossing Borders: The Heaven Anunduwae
by WolvesAndRoses
Summary: Orochimaru, desiring to cross between the realms of humans and spirits, created Project 880A, a mission that hoped to awaken a powerful being from the spirit realm and control it. What he did not expect was the project's success nor the woman he awakened


She arose slowly, white hair spilling down her naked shoulders with unnatural fluidity. Her eyes flicked open, a stunning violet, still sleepy to this new world. She tilted her head back, peering up through the craggy rocks at a full moon that bathed her pale, porcelain skin in a ghostly light. Slender fingers clutched at dark sheets, lips parted to inhale the sweet pleasures of this cave-like profundity. It was all new…all so tempting.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze smoothing out the room and identifying its every feature. She was indeed in a place made of black stone, the walls rough and floor uneven. Around her were many objects that she did not yet have words for, a collection of equipment perhaps to monitor some sort of life form. Among them was a glassy screen displaying a mesmerizing red assortment of moving numbers and symbols, constantly shifting and changing. She watched these for a moment before continuing to identify her surroundings.

She sat in a bed of dark purple sheets, a canopy of the same color tied at the corners at each of the four silver posts. She gripped the sheets tighter for a greater sense of reality, only faintly aware of the noise echoing just outside of this strange cave-like room. Rather than focusing on places unseen, she was simply too curious about her place of awakening.

Her attention returned to the metallic equipment once more, glancing at the screen with red patterns and following a silver cord from its base. It trailed along the dark floor, rising to the edge of the bed, and snaking its way to her own bare body. It ended at a silver ring around her neck, disappearing into the metal. She touched it gently and seeing her hands for the first time, explored her body with them.

She was smooth…her skin almost white. She was slender, though plump at her chest and bore black markings along her stomach. The marks were a series of swirls and designs that felt familiar and danced along her sides. She traced them, ignoring the sudden flurry of footsteps just outside.

Yakushi Kabuto had just had his nose behind a clipboard, his pen moving at a rather unbelievable pace across the parchment, when a sudden explosion wracked his body. Never before had he felt a chakra like this, so spiritual and strong…lustful and yet innocent. His eyes widened, his knuckles turned white; Kabuto began to run.

He turned to find her sitting up on the bed rather than lying unconscious beneath the sheets. If it were possible, this young woman was perfect. Every feature was astounding, from her velvet lips to her intoxicating violet eyes to the skin seemingly made of snow. She looked up at him for a moment, her gaze almost making his heart stop. Inhuman. Something so beautiful could only be fabricated, a glitch in nature, or something from a spiritual plane. But she also raised the hair on his flesh. Not only was her the power of her chakra overwhelming, but her mere essence terrified him. There was an eerie intelligence in her expression and despite her obvious nudity, it was clear that she knew her dominance in this world. Kabuto suddenly wondered if Orochimaru had crossed a boundary this time.

He regained himself when she stretched out a hand to him. They had not established every aspect of her abilities just yet and touching her was out of the question. He watched her carefully as he approached the equipment to her right, noting that not only did she not blink, but she also did not breathe. A quick glance to the readings on her monitor showed that she was fully awake and very aware. To Kabuto, this was both a great achievement and a great risk. This project had never been expected to turn out correctly, thus it lacked much needed attention. And yet-

A second look at her revealed the reality of this situation. They had managed to awaken one of the most powerful of beings and bring it into the human realm, a task that seemed impossible and had sure enough succeeded. Kabuto did not waste any more time. With a quick shove of his glasses, the medical shinobi drew back his sleeve where a teal snake wound itself around his forearm. A touch to its head was all that was needed for the snake to raise itself up and face the ninja.

"Orochimaru, Project 880A has awoken. Your presence is needed immediately."

It was strange that this man seemed to quiver in front of her. His attention hardly left her form and even as he spoke he seemed afraid. That was silly. What was there to fear? Could she hurt him? Yes… she could do many things here. She felt the energy differently in this place… gathered it and manipulated it. Was she the goddess here? Was this man her servant?

She felt once more at the silver ring about her neck. Something instinctual told her that it did not belong there and that this human-made material made her subordinate somehow. It angered her that such a thing could be done, though emotion did not show on her face. She tugged at it gently and when it offered resistance she moved to pull the cord from its place beneath her chin.

"Please don't pull-" Kabuto had started forward, though honestly had no intention of nearing the being before him. She pulled it from her monitor's ring with ease, appearing surprised when the screen went black. She looked questioningly at him, as if asking him to make the symbols reappear. The shinobi merely looked away.

The ring remained, a cold collar against even colder flesh. Her dislike of it grew.

"Does it bother you _Anunduwae?_" The voice was not pleasant, though it did draw her eyes upon him. The word for snake came to her as she looked at him. Everything about him screamed serpent, though he spoke not of reptile doomed to spend its life on its belly, but of the essence of her existence. _Anunduwae_. Spirit Guide and Guardian. Select beings from the spirit realm, given the task of watching over lost spirits and protecting all creatures whose home exists in neither heaven nor hell. They were beings of extraordinary powers, and unlike summons, they were never meant to cross the boundary between the spiritual realm and the realm of humanity. That plane was forbidden and sealed so that no Anunduwae could ever cross.

And yet here she was. Stronger than she had ever been before.

"No." Her voice was one million melodies in harmony, perfect and heart stopping.

"No, I think I quite like it…"

The man with skin just as pale as her own approached without fear, reaching out to smooth her cheek as a long smile spread across his thin face. Was this who had brought her here? She knew him to be the one, for he looked at her as if he looked at his own child. A creation of astounding proportions. And though she still did not fully understand how she had been awoken here in the world of fragile humanity, she could only see him as a superior.

She touched his hand, drawing it upon her cheek as if caressing him. Penetrating violet eyes found his. "Master… my name is Yukiko… The service of the Heaven Anunduwae is your own."


End file.
